The New Era
by DragonDex
Summary: Throuout time the world changes, and with it, the creatures that inhabit it. Over time, new abilities arise. With those, new conflict, and new heroes. R&R M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

My name is Akoda. I live in a small village a few miles off of my homeland, the Eastern Water Tribe. I am a small boy, but my father tells me that I was born to do great things. I don't understand what he means by that, but maybe someday I will...

It has been twelve years since the passing of Avatar Aang. I have heard many stories through passing Airbenders how he single-handedly defeated the Firelord. My father does not believe such stories. He believes that my great-grandfather, Sokka, was the one who lead to the downfall of the tyrant. He argues relentlessly with the Airbenders over this story, and for that, they never see eye to eye.

Still, it affects the village greater and greater. There are fewer traders passing through this land now, because they do not want to hear the babblings of my father. We are losing our market resources now, and eventually, we will have to make the journey to our sister tribe in the West. We were exiled from our homeland in the East. Every person in the village has some wrong deed that they have done, and now they are banished with us. I believe that they were followers of my father, and they were cast out with him for believing the stories of my great-grandfather.

My father does not believe it would be wise for me to venture back to the Tribe, because of their hatred for him. He told me that I have done nothing wrong, and that I am still allowed in the village, but I cannot leave him here by himself with no other family to watch over him. Still, I was very little when we first left the Tribe, and I wonder if they are flourishing or are they starting to lose their edge like we are.

I still look to Avatar Aang for guidance in my time of need. My father says that he once met Avatar Aang, and that he was a man of great honor. Sometimes, I wish he were still here so he could help my Tribe come closer together. After all, everyone knows that he brought the four nations together. Even if he didn't defeat the Firelord on his own, he stil was a great Avatar, and I think my tribe overlooks that from time to time. If only they could get over their differences, we could help our Tribe flourish.

As the other Four Nations look to the Water Tribes for the next Avatar, we anxiously search for him. I have even helped search for him, but we have come to no prevail. Some of us are even starting to believe that the Avatar Spirits have left the land now that they are no longer needed. I pray that it is not true, for they are needed now more than ever. By helping us, they may not save the world, but they will save a tribe in desperate need of them...


	2. A Found Straggler

**Chapter 1: A Found Straggler**

I opened my eyes to the same sight I see every day when I wake up, the inside of a hut. I looked around to see if my father had already went on his morning hunt. Sure enough, he had already left on his journey. I can never understand why my father never lets me go with him on one of his hunts. I just find something else to do when I don't go, but I still want to hunt the Great Winter Bear with him.

The Great Winter Bear isn't like any ordinary bear. In the snow, the bear is almost impossible to track. In the mainland, the tribe members tell the children of the Great Winter Bear in order to get them to behave. I know this because it was how my mother died. The other children would tell me that their parents told them that if they didn't behave, the bear would get them like they got my mother. For that, I could never really look at them with the same "compassion" they showed me.

Still, the Great Winter Bear has eluded our family for a long time. Some of the villagers believe that my father is wasting his time out there searching for something dead. However, the other day, my father was one of the happiest people alive that I have ever seen. He did not return with the bear, but he was able to see in which direction it was headed. It was the greatest joy my father could have, seeing that the bear was still alive. But I think he has mixed feelings about the bear. I know that he wants to destroy the bear with all he possesses. However, seeing as how the bear is a formidable opponent, I know that it gives my father pleasure in chasing it.

I walked to the opening of my tent and looked through the crack. I saw small children running around throwing snow at each other. I looked over to Serena's tent to see what she was doing. I looked as she took out the clothes she had washed and placed them up on a line to dry. As she lifted the clothes, I watched her perfect form remove the drenched clothing and string it out, and then lift up to hang the clothes over the line. Her green eyes darted back and forth as she watched the kids throw snow at one another.

Then something amazing happened. I watched as one of the small children took a rock and placed it inside of his snowball, and threw it at one of the others. As the ball was hurled through the air, in a sudden burst, snow was lifted from the ground by some unseen force. The snow molded and created a small dome around the child. I watched in amazement as the the melted back into the ground after the snowball had collided with the dome.

I looked around to see if anyone else had seen what I had. I watched to see if anyone was acting strangely, and I saw Serena. She had dropped her clothes and had a strange look on her face. Her eyebrows were crunched together and her eyes were squinted with determination. She had her arms lifted over her head in some weird shape. It seemed as if it formed a circle, but I couldn't tell.

She straightened herself up and her eyes fluttered back to normal. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her. Then her eyes shot straight at my tent.

I quickly moved away from the crack in my tent. I started to inch my way around the tent back to my bed. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. _That was so amazing! The way she controlled the snow back there! But she saw me! Maybe it's not so bad._ I shrugged my shoulders. _Maybe she'll think that I was checking her out instead. I'll go the market to get things off my mind._

I started back towards the opening in my tent. I opened the flap and walked towards the market to see what was up for grabs. As I started towards the town, I looked over my shoulder to see if Serena was still over at her tent folding her clothes. I didn't see her basket outside, so I figured she went back inside. I turned my head back towards the road and walked right into someone. I picked my head up to see who I bumped into. All I saw was deep green eyes and then I reallized who I had walked into.

I didn't know what to say to her. I stood up and started brushing the snow off of my clothes. "Sorry, Serena. I didn't mean to bump into you like that." I almost stumbled over my words as they rolled off of my tongue.

She looked back at me and smiled. "It's okay. We all stumble once in a while."

I looked at what she was carrying. It was they same clothes that she was carrying from earlier. I looked more closely at them and saw that they had an insignia on them. It was a blue wave in the middle of a circle. _She has the royal insignia on those clothes. Does she know what they are worth?_ I looked back up to her face. "Are you taking those to the market to sell? We c-could walk together if you wanted to. I-I am headed to the m-market myself."

She looked back at me and giggled. "I'm so sorry. You just always make me laugh whenever you are stammering over your own words. And yes, I would love to walk to the market with you."

-- --

We walked through the market and I was amazed at what I saw. I saw a large red bird used in the Fire Nation for letter- carrying. Its wings were magnificent. They were red all the way around, but the feathers were golden. I walked a little ways further and saw a little white bear. And then it hit me.

This bear was the young cub of a Great Winter Bear. I looked down at the bear in the cage. It had fur that was as bright as the snow that I tread through. It had claws that were no bigger than my hands. I looked into its eyes and saw a look of hope. Even though there was a possibility that one of its family members killed my mom, I could not help ut to feel sorry for this tiny creature.

As soon as I turned to walk away from the bear, it went into a frenzy. I looked back at the bear as it thrashed about in the cage. It was throwing its body into the door of the cage. It did the repeatedly until I heard a snap. I bolted as I heard a loud crashing sound. I looked over my shoulder and saw the bear running after me. I looked back in front of me and saw Serena. _Oh no! I completely forgot she was with me! I hope she'll be okay._

I ran past her and headed straight for my tent. I ran and jumped into my bed. I went underneath the covers and waited for my breathing to slow. As soon as my breathing slowed down, I heard a growling noise coming from the outside of my tent. I pulled down the cover just enough to see what was going on, and saw the bear in my tent. i tried not to move but it was already heading towards me. I jumped out from underneath my cover and yelled for help.

It was no good. I was too far away from the village market for someone to hear me. As the bear crept closer, I backed away until I met the wall of my tent. I stared as the bear walked closer and closer to me. I looked away, for I did not want to see the look in its eyes as it killed me.

I felt the bear's snout rub up against my leg. It then moved up to the pouch in my overcoat. It stayed there for a few minutes snooping around and then it took a couple of steps back. it let out a wail and started to paw at the ground. I put my hand inside of my coat and felta small bag of meat my dad had cooked the day before. I looked at the bear and suddenley it was back at my leg. The small bear started to paw at my leg. I took a piece from the bag and placed it in front of the tiny bear. Instantly, the bear ent to work on the piece of meat.

I looked at the bear with an intensity I had never felt before. I was astounded at how such an adorable creature could grow into such a ferocious beast. It seemed as if it never tasted anything like it in its life. I watched as the small bear took bite after bite. It enjoyed the food so much that I couldn't help but to feed him the whole bag.

I heard a noise, and obviously so did the bear. I ran to the crack in my tent and saw a mad merchant dealer running and chcking tents for something. I looked down at the bear that had followed me, and watched as its eyes grew big. I knew that eventually the man would make it to this tent, so I had to hide the bear.

I covered the bear up with as much stuff as possible and waited for the man. Not even seconds after I finished covering up the bear, the man was standing in my tent. I looked up at the man, and saw something I had never seen in a merchant before.

"Hi. Did you lose something?" I managed to get out.

"Yeah. I had a small Winter Bear in town, and some people saw it go crazy after a little oy went near it. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" His eyes were darting around my room searching for clues to the bear.

I stepped in front of where his eyes stopped. "No, I'm sorry, but I don't. I was in town with my friend, looking around and helping her sell her clothes that she had woven. I came back early because I didn't find anything that I liked." I stared him in the face to see if his expression would change.

He stiffled a chuckle. "I like your spirit, kid, but I'll be taking my bear back now. I am taking him to the tribe east of here so I can get some money out of him. If you can give me more money th they were, then you are free to keep the bear. But if not, then I am going to take the bear off of your hands."

I looked around my room to see if there was anything of worth, but to no prevail. "I don't have a piece of gold to my name, but I can-"

"I'm sorry then, but I'll have to take my bear back." He moved around the room, searching through every item until he saw my father's large laundry basket. I watced as his eyes grew large and he walked passed me straight towards the basket.

I then heard a calm soothing voice come from the doorway. "I don't know what business you have here , but if it is not friendly, then I would advise you to take it elsewhere." I saw Serena standing in the doorway holding the same clothes she had taken to the market. Obviously, the merchant had also, for he started to bargain.

"How about this? If I promise to leave you alone, would you allow me to have those "items" that you are holding?" The merchant said it with a flair of enthusiasm, as if he had done this sort of dealing before. I looked over to Serena and watched as she passed the items to him._ I don't think she obviously know how much that is worth, or else she wouldn't have done that_! I went to say something, but she raised her hand to silence me.

"Pleasure doing business with you, young lady. I'll be on my way now." He exited from the tent and walked back towards the market.

"You know, you didn;t have to do-"

"What do you think is more important to me? Some royal clothes or the whole world knowing that I can manipulate water?" She sounded so hurt that she had to give up something so precious to her, but I knew that there was nothing that I could do.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can take the bear with you." I looked at her eyes and watched as they selled with anger.

"I do not desire anything from you. I just don't want you to tell anyone about me."


End file.
